Lock-up key for chase



Dec. 8, 1959 t L. R. HODGES 2,915,931

=L0cx-4JP KEY FOR CHASE Filed April 2, 1958 INVENTOR. 3 L.R.HODGESATTORNEY Unite States Patent LOCK-UP KEY FOR CHASE Leon R. Hodges,Wichita, Kans.

Application April 2, 1958, Serial No. 726,016

4 Claims. (Cl. 8'1177) This invention relates to printing and theprinting industry. In a more specific aspect this invention relates tomeans which are conveniently employed in printing processes. In still amore specific aspect this invention relates to a lock-up or quoin key orwrench which is most desirably used to turn lock-up screws or boltswhich work with the quoins in a printing chase to hold and securetherein composed type, illustrations, etc.

Printing is one of our older arts, and the printing industry is one ofour largest. It is common in the printing industry in carrying on theprocesses of printing to employ what is known as a chase. A chase is aframe structure, usually rectangular, in which composed type,illustrations, etc., are secured or locked, for .use in the printingoperations or for use in making printing plates. Quoins are used inconjunction with and co-operate with a chase to hold composed type,etc., secured or locked therein. These quoins are usually made of woodor metal and are of various shapes, such as wedge-shaped, square orrectangular blocks, odd interacting shapes, etc. In use they fitbetweenthe chase which is usually wood or metal and the composed type, etc., orbetween sections of the composed type. Lock-up screws or bolts arenormally threadedly engaged in and pass through one or more sides of thechase, these bolts or screws acting in a setscrew manner to exert forceon the quoins and composed type to hold them locked together and securedwithin the chase. In printing operations it is the usuai practice to useany of a number of common wrenches or pliers to turn these lock-upscrews or bolts for the securing of the composed type or for releasingof the quoins and composed type so that they may be removed from thechase. It has been my experience that plier and common wrench turningmeans become lost or misplaced, since they cannot conveniently becarried in the pocket of the usual apron which a printer uses whileworking. A great deal of time and effort is thus lost, making for greatinefficiency of operation. I have invented a new quoin key or wrenchwhich when not in use can be folded up or closed so that it canconveniently be carried in the pocket of a printers apron, safely andconveniently. The new quoin key or wrench of my invention can be madelight and small so that no interference with the printer occurs whencarrying the quoin key or wrench.

The new quoin key or wrench of my invention has a handle, and a headmember. The head member has means therewith which are constructed toengage a lockup screw or bolt of a chase in turning relation. The headmember is movably mounted on the handle so that the head member can bepositioned in either of two positions. These two positions are in openoperating position for turning a lock-up screw or bolt of a chase, and aclosed position for carrying the quoin key or wrench. Retractable catchmeans are constructed into and mounted relative to the handle and headmember of the quoin key or wrench. In extended position, these catchmeans maintain the key or wrench in the open operating position, and inretracted position these catch means permit the wrench or key to beplaced in closed position for carrying, such as in the pocket of aprinters apron.

It is an object of this invention to provide new means for the printingindustry.

It is another object of this invention to provide new key or wrenchmeans for turning screws or bolts.

A further object of this invention is to provide new quoin key or wrenchmeans for turning lock-up screws or bolts in a printing chase.

Still another object of this invention is to provide new, convenientlyusable quoin-key or wrench means for turning lock-up screws or bolts ina printing chase, such key or wrench means being adapted to be folded orplaced in closed position for safe and easy carrying by the printer, andsuch key or wrench means being simple and easy to make and use.

Other objects and advantages of the new quoin key or wrench means of myinvention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon readingthis disclosure.

Drawings accompany and are apart of this disclosure. These drawingsdepict preferred specific embodiments of the new quoin key or wrenchmeans of my invention, and it is to be understood that they are not tounduly limit the scope of my invention.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a preferred specific embodiment of the newquoin key or wrench of my invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical section taken on line 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a partial view in plan of a chase with quoins and composedtype therein and having lock up screws or bolts which are preferablyturned by the new quoin key or wrench of my invention.

Following are a discussion and description of the new quoin key orwrench of my invention made with reference to the drawings whereon thesame reference numerals are used to indicate the same or similar partsor structure. The discussion and description are of preferred specificembodiments of the the new quoin key or Wrench of my invention, and itis to be understood that such discussion and description are not tounduly limit the scope of my invention.

Referring now to the drawings, the quoin key or wrench 6 has a handle 8,which is preferably elongated and round in cross section in the rearwardend portion 14) and with straight sides, preferably square in crosssection, in the forward end portion 12. The forward end portion 12preferably has a hollow 14 formed therein, and a slot 16 in the top sidecommunicating between the outside of the handle and the hollow 14. Ofcourse, an aperture of any shape or size can be used which is suitable.It is preferred that the opposite sides of the hollow 14 (Fig. 2) beinclined inwardly in their upper portions adjacent the slot 16 so as toform the inwardly projecting ledge portions of the handle portion 12relative to the hollow 14. As will be set forth hereinafter, this is adesirable means to limit the travel of the catch discussed hereinafter,and to prevent such catch from escaping from the hollow 14.

The wrench or quoin key 6 has a head 18. This head is preferably flatand rectangular as shown in the drawings. It has an aperture 20 in theouter end portion, preferably a square hole 26* as shown in the drawingsto receive a portion of the usual beveled lock-up screw or bolt 2-2 ofthe usual printing chase 24. In operation the key head 13 engages thelock-up screw or bolt head 22 in turning relation. Bracket means aresuitably attached to the other end portion of key or wrench head 18.These bracket means are preferably a pair of oppositely spaced brackets26 which project inwardly from the wrench head 18. These brackets 26 areused to pivotally mount the key or wrench head 18 on, the forward endportion 12 of handle 8. Pins 28 suitably secured to brackets 26 andprojecting into recesses formed in the sides of end portion 12 of handle8 have been found convenient and desirable to pivotably mount the wrenchhead 18 The brackets 26 overlap the end portion 12 of handle 8 and arepreferably snugly adjacent the straight sides of end portion 12, so thatwhenin the position shown by screw or bolt 22 will be turned.

A retractable catch 30 is preferably employed and mounted in the hollow14 and slot 16 of end portion 12 of handle 8; a

The catch 30 preferably has an enlarged inner portion 32 with beveledupper sides as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. The bevel corresponds tothe bevel of the upper portion of the sides of hollow 14, and theportion 32 of catch 30 engages the inwardly extending handle portions,when the catch 30 is extended, to prevent escape of the catch 30 fromthe hollow 14. The catch 30 has a central portion which extends throughthe slot 16, and an outer projecting portion 34 which is con- 1 structedto engage the wrench head 18 when the catch 30 is extended and thewrench is in open position, the position shown in solid lines in Figs. 1and 2. This provides for maintaining the wrench in open position againstpressures thereon which would tend to close or fold wrench head 18.finger pressure, so that the key or wrench can be closed or folded forcarrying, this closed or folded position of the wrench head 18 beingshown in Fig. 1 indotted lines.

The catch 30 is retractable, preferably by 3 Resilient means are mountedin the hollow 14 to urge the catch 30 into extended position. arepreferably a helical spring 36 which is in compression and which engagesthe bottom of catch 30 and the bottom of hollow 14. It is preferred todesign the wrench so that the catch 30 will press against the wrenchhead 18 when in closed or folded position to maintain such in thisposition. Then the wrench, under slight pressure, can be moved into openposition. The design shown in the drawings accomplishes this, becausewhen These resilient means in folded position the force of catch 30 isperpendicular to the wrench head 18 and does not exert any turning forcethereon.

The outer end portion of the end portion 10 of handle 8. canconveniently be made hollow as shown in the drawings. This hollow 38 isdesirably used to hold a pica-calibrated tape 40 of the spring-loadedkind, which can be extended by pulling on an outer end 42, and whichautomatically rewinds itself around pin mounting means 44 suitablysecured in the walls of handle 8. In extending the tape 40, it passesout through a slot 46 in the end 43 of the handle 8.

The quoin key or wrench 6 of my invention is used to loosen or tightenlock-up screws or bolts 22 which are threadedly engaged in the sides ofchase 24 (Fig. 4). In printing and printing operations the chase 24holds quoins such as elongated quoins 50, and interacting quoins 52 and54. These quoins 50, 52, and 54 act to hold diagramatically depictedcomposed type, etc., 56

I claim:

1. A quoin key or wrench comprising, in combination, an elongated handleround in cross section in the rearward end portion and square in crosssection in the forward end portion, said forward end portion having ahollow and a slot in one side communicating between the outside thereofand said hollow, opposite sides defining said hollow being inclinedinwardly adjacent said slot to form, inwardly projecting ledge portionsof said handle relativeto said hollow, a fiat, rectangular, wrench headhaving -a square hole in one end portion of size to receive a portionof, the head of a beveled chase lock-up screw or bolt in turningrelation and attached thereto in the other end portion a pair ofoppositelyspaced brackets projecting therefrom, said wrench head beingpivotally mounted on said forward end portion of said handle by pinmeans secured to said brackets and with said brackets overlappingopposite sides of said handle and so that in open operating positionsaid wrench head is at right angles to said handle and turnably lockedrelative to said handle and in closed carrying position said wrench headlies flat against said handle longitudinal thereto, a retractable catchmounted in said hollow of said handle, said catch having an enlargedinner portion with beveled upper sides engaging said handle when saidcatch is extended, a central portion projecting through said slot and anouter portion constructed to engage said wrench head when said catch isextended and said wrench is open to maintain said wrench in openposition, said catch being retractable to permit'folding said wrenchhead, and a helical spring mounted in said hollow of said handle,engaging said catch and urging said catch into extended position. I

2. A quoin key or wrench comprising, in combination, a handle havingopposite straight sides in the forward end portion, said forward endportion having a hollow and a slot in a side between said straightsides, said slot communicating between the outside of said handle andsaid hollow, a portion of said handle defining said slot projectinginwardly beyond a side of said hollow within said handle, a wrench headhaving an aperture in one end portion of size and shape to receive achase lock-up screw in turning relation and in the other end portionbracket means projecting therefrom, said wrench head being pivotallymounted on said forward end portion of said handle with said bracketmeans overlapping said handle and the brackets thereof being adjacent tosaid straight sides of said forward end portion of said handle, saidwrench head when pivoted into open position having its longitudinal axistransverse the longitudinalaxis of said handle and being in turnablerelation with said handle and in retracted position said wrench headhaving its longitudinal axis substantially parallel to the longitudinalaxis of said handle and with said wrench head lying substantially fiatagainst said handle, a retractable catch mounted in said hollow of saidhandle, said catch having an inner portion constructed to engage aportion of said handle to prevent said catch from exiting from saidhollow of said handle when in extended position, a central portionprojecting through said slot and an outer portion constructed to engagesaid wrench head when extended to maintain said wrench head in openposition, said catch being retractable to permit closing said wrenchhead, and resilient means mounted in said hollow of said handle andurging 'said catch into extended position.

3. A quoin key or wrench comprising, in combination, a handle, a wrenchhead having an aperture in one end portion to receive a chase lock-upscrew in turning relation and in the other end portion being pivotallymounted on one end portion of said handle in a manner such that saidwrench head when in open position has its axis transverse the axis ofsaid handle and when in retracted position has its axis substantiallyparallel said axis of said handle, retractable catch means in said endportion of said handle constructed and mounted so that when extendedsaid catch means maintains said wrench head in open position and inturnable relation with said handle and so that when retracted saidwrench head can be folded, and means urging said catch means intoextended position.

4. A quoin key or wrench comprising, in combination, a handle, a wrenchhead member having means to receive a chase lock-up screw in turningrelation, said wrench head member being pivotally mounted on said handlein a manner such that said wrench head member when in open position hasits axis transverse the axis of said handle and when in retractedposition has its axis substantially parallel said axis of said handle,retractable 6 catch means with said handle constructed and mounted sothat when extended said catch means maintains said wrench head in openposition and in turnable relation with said handle and so that whenretracted said wrench head can be folded, and means urging said catchmeans into extended position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS763,745 Gheen June 28, 1904 1,006,679 Rice Oct. 24, 1911 1,830,667Lolley Nov. 3, 1931 1,861,207 Burns May 31, 1932

